


We were too young to realise

by Nagacuddles



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Homophobic Hiroshi (Father), Misunderstandings, f/f - Freeform, oblivious korra, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 08:57:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5579326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nagacuddles/pseuds/Nagacuddles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra's school girl crush on Asami Sato developed into a long distance friendship. When the pair meet again in Republic City 4 years later, the now 20 year old Korra is just as oblivious and awkward as she was all those years ago.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Bolin since when did your Ivysaur get to Lv 28! I swear you only picked him ‘cus I got a Squirtle”.

Bolin smirked and puffed he chest out proudly, “I Picked Leafy because he is the coolest out of the three, you wait till I use my Onyx he is lv 33 now”.

“Whaaat! You have too much time. I am not losing”. I swap out for my Arcane quickly before he finishes off my favourite Pokémon and curse myself for not stocking up on super potions for our linked battle.

“ARGHHH! Don’t put me to sleep that’s lame!” I grumble. Maybe I should have bought some Awakening too.

“What’s all the noise in here?”, Bolin’s older and more stoic brother Mako asks as he walks into their shared living room.

“Oh…. Korra’s just a sore loser”, Boling almost sings with a smug grin that I feel like wiping of his face.

A fraught 15 minutes later and I am almost crying into my pillow as Bolin has wiped the floor with me, Mako is chuckling perched on the arm rest humoured by how serious we take the game. As if he doesn’t play, it’s the 2000’s everyone cool plays Pokémon.

The doorbell rings as Bolin is re-enacting how the final show down of his Wigglytuff with an unexpected Water pulse move finishes of my Graveller who had also been put to sleep!

Mako disappears to answer it for a moment before returning with Asami Sato, I immediately straighten up from my exaggerated sobbing into the cushions of their settee. As Bolin re-iterates his success I find myself staring at the older girl. Her and Mako are in their senior year at sixth form whilst me and Bolin are still in year 11 at Republic City School and College. 

I try to pull my attention away and join back in the conversation before I weird the girl out, I haven’t even told Bolin yet, who is my main confidant as my best friend, about the crush I have had on Asami since forever. But she notices before I have chance to say something and asks me if I am okay with a concerned look. Am I okay, every time I end up in the same room as Asami I am side tracked by these feelings! My heart races and my stomach is jittery. I would not count that as okay but I decide on mumbling a quick reply of, “Yea, just lost a battle with this rock head because he sends all my Pokémon to sleep!”. I hardly want to announce what goes through my mind every time I see her to the room.

She walks over to me and it feels like she is walking slow as I watch her sway her hips and as she reaches me she lowers her lips to my ear. I just about withhold a gasp by biting down on my lower lip as I feel her breath on the sensitive skin on my neck. “I would stock up on Awakening next time and lv up a fire Pokémon to take out his Ivysaur”, she conspires and I break out into a grin as she pulls away. I knew all cool people played Pokémon, even the eighteen-year-old gorgeous and intelligent Asami Sato. For a moment she lingers near and I blush under the scrutinising look she gives me, it looks more serious than I have ever seen her before she quickly looks away smiling towards the other two who are oblivious to the effect Asami is having on me.

The rest of the afternoon and the summer as a whole was less eventful. With mine and Bolins GCSE’s and Mako’s Alevels to study for I only bump into Asami when she comes over to the brother’s house to study with Mako for Maths, which is a serious topic me and Bolin have to be quiet for according to Mako. Although according to Bolin it was more of a ‘Mako wants to impress Asami so he has a chance when he asks her out because he luuuuurves her’.

Following the hype of the exams I was surprised when Asami paid to take the three of us out for a meal at Narooks, our favourite stop off for Noodles and Coffee after school. Mako made a massive effort with styling his hair, and ditching his deuce of a friend Wu who pestered me and any other girl to go out with him constantly. And I realised Bolin was right Mako, who had always been like an older brother to me since I have been friends with Bo, liked the same girl as me.

I had been considering for the past few weeks about revealing the attraction I felt towards the girl, we had developed a sort of friendship and even if she wasn’t into girls I don’t think she would be repulsed, Asami was cool like that. She understands me so much and doesn’t judge, even when I got angry at the football finals for being fouled in the penalty box she came down to the side-lines and knew exactly how to calm me down so I didn’t blow it and lose the game.

All the thinking I had done over the last few months, admitting to myself how I felt for Asami, what it meant in terms of my sexuality and whether my parents and friends would be okay with it. I mean it is far more accepted these days but it’s still scary. Just the thought someone you care about could object to how you feel and find it unacceptable. All of that came crashing down when Asami told us how she would be going away to a University in Ba Sing Se to study Engineering. Of course Asami could get into any University she wanted, and the University of Ba Sing Se was well known for its engineering excellence, she was intelligent and a total nerd, even when it came to Pokémon she knew all the stats of the top of her head as if she had studied them for her finals. 

For the rest of the meal I catch her scrutinising me again and I wonder if she noticed how my face had crumpled into a frown for a split second before joyfully congratulating her. I am not sure how I feel about her leaving, its not exactly like I stood much of a chance, and she was going to study at the best university for her chosen field. I should be happy for her but I feel this pit in my stomach at the thought of not seeing her again.  


My chest tightens as we say goodbye even as she hands me a slip of paper with her number and asks me to keep in touch it still feels like a final goodbye, I couldn’t dream of getting into the elite university of Ba Sing Se. It was also an 8-hour flight away so this could be the last time I would get to see my friend/crush for a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four years later!

4 years later 

“You know when you said you found us summer jobs in Republic City I was hoping for something more exotic than working at a bar”, Opal moaned finishing with a pout as she rubbed her feet after a gruelling first night working at BumJu's.

I held my laughter poorly as I slumped back into my bed, “Exotic like what stripping, I’m not sure I would get much for that although…”. I look Opal up and down, “…I am sure we could fund a trip to Ember Island if your down”.

“Nooo….you know what I mean, damn it Korra stop teasing”, She says glaring with a hand on hip.

I bump her shoulder, “Sorry I was just joking, Republic City is great, the pays not bad here and we have done bar work before, I know the owner he’s a really cool guy just take some of his old war stories with a pinch of salt, and we can stay here for free aaaaand there are plenty of cute guys”.

“But there are Bars is Zaofu and cute guys, any way since when have you been interested in cute guys?” she responds quirking her eyebrow.

“Ha funny! I was thinking of you; time you actually spoke to a guy instead of profusely blushing”.

“Says you when was the last time you even went out on a date”.

“Touché. Give it a few weeks and we can go to Zaofu if you still want, I just didn’t get much chance to see the party scene when I lived here. I left straight after I left school to go collage in Zaofu and then we went to the Fire Nation for University. My parents will be in town at the end of the week and I havent seen them since they visited at last Christmas and I haven’t seen any of my other friends in 4 years, I really want you to meet them”.

Opal looked slightly apologetic, “I really wanted to come here Korra and I cant wait to meet your other friends, I just thought we could have got more interesting work”.

“How about we talk to Tenzin in the morning, I used to do some community work with him when he was in politics, I am sure he’s still involved”.

“Now that sounds more like it…Can you still hear the music from BumJu’s”, Opal asks shaking her head from side to side whilst lying back on her own bed.

“Nah you look ridiculous, now shhushhh Beifong, I need all the beauty sleep I can get after tonight and were working again tomorrow”.

“Just after tonight”.

I throw an old cuddly toy of a seal at her face, glad when I hit the mark with a resounding umfff.

The following night is just as rammed at BumJu's with all the students finishing exams, the cue for the bar looks more like a little mob, and every one is speeding around to serve people as fast as possible. After a few hours we swap with the VIP bartenders and enjoy the slight break in pace, there are only a few booths occupied so I spend most of my time cleaning around the bar whilst Opal walks around collecting glasses.  


She returns a while late with her signature shy smile. "Cute guy by any chance?" I ask craning my neck over to the far booth.

"He's more than cute, I mean he is cute but he is well ummm really hot as well with massive muscles", she says a little flustered,

I smirk, "What my muscles not good enough for you".

"Shut it! Anyway can you take over there order please", she asks handing over her jotter bright red in the face.

"Since you ask so nicely", I say as I gather the drinks on a tray, "Hey why don't you scribble down your number, we get off in 5 mins you can slyly disappear and wait for him to text you tomorrow?" I ask wiggling my eyebrow suggestively.

I expect her to refuse but she flips over the order and scribbles the digits down before she scurries off to collect our coats.  


“Here you go guy’s, sorry to disappoint but Opal had to leave but she said to leave this for…”, I check the paper for the name scribbled in Opals curly handwriting and look up quickly with a massive grin on my face. The guy looking at me hopefully for the piece of paper looks older and lot more muscly but his young face is exactly the same as my best friend. “Bolin! Ha she wasn’t kidding about the muscles”

For a moment he stares back at me confused with my outburst, until his eyes go wide and he lurches out of the boothe “Korra! When did you get back?” he cries as he crushes me in a hug pulling me up off the floor and swinging me in a circle.

“Yesterday, I am back for the summer so we need to meet up, I meant to text but we started here straight away.” I manage to gasp out once he releases me.

I glance back to the bar to see Opal waving at me to leave. As I turn back I have the attention of the other two who has been in conversation facing each other before and I shyly wave over to Mako and Asami. Both looking at me with interest.

“I have to go uhmm I think…Opal the girl who asked me to pass you her number is staying over at Air Temple Island with me…just give me a sec”.

I run back to the bar and Opal is all but stamping her feet to go.

“What’s taking so long? And why are you getting frisky with muscles, I thought you weren’t into guys, I saw him first” She hisses.

“Whoa! The guy with the muscles, is my friend from school, come on let’s join them please”.

“Not like this Kor, can we meet up with them tomorrow, I just don’t want to look or smell like I’ve done a 10 mile run when I first meet him properly”.

“Yea… Yea I get it…. First impressions, I just haven’t seen them in so long”, I pout and grab my leather jacket she picked up for me and make my way back to the booth as put it on.

“Hey guy’s I need to head off, but call me, I don’t have a shift tomorrow so if your free…”

“Narooks at 6?”, Mako answers whilst Bolin nods in approval, Asami is still staring like she doesn’t believe I am really here so I smile reassuringly at her. “Narooks at 6 then, Oh shall I bring Opal?” I ask winking at Bolin who blushes and nods again.

“Awesome, see you tomorrow”. Bolin and Mako both wave me off but Asami steps out of the booth and embraces me speaking into my ear. As she tells me it’s good to see me and she is looking forward to catching up properly tomorrow I am thrown back to how I felt all those years ago. Although the butterfly’s in my stomach are accompanied by a heat spreading downwards far more intense than it had back then, and suddenly the embrace feels intimate. I reach up and reply with a “I can’t wait” and then reluctantly step back meeting her eyes. I realise just how much I missed seeing Asami in person her eyes are a glorious shade of green, even while I was studying in the Zaofu I have never seen eyes as beautiful as hers. The skinny jeans and tight shirt hug her figure which is curvier than I remember but better for it. I stop myself checking her out any further as I notice her scrutinizing me like she always did, I wonder now if it is just something Asami does or if she is searching me for something I feel exposed under her look. What if Asami can tell how I feel? Something I have hidden well over emails. I scratch the back of my neck and awkwardly repeat my farewell and dash off before I can embarrass myself, well any more than I have already.


	3. Chapter 3

“Wow!” 

“Huh, Meelo what are you doing here?” The young air nomad stood with his mouth slightly ajar

“Uhhhm well Opal’s pacing the floor waiting for you and I…”

“Meelo! Eyes up here, spirits I am practically your sister and you are barely old enough to think of girls!” 

“Meelo the Man does not think such a pretty lady could be his sister”.

“Hey Meelo are you saying I am not pretty, because I have been told I am pretty and I am your sister… also Korra you do look pretty, like reaaaaly pretty and Assaa….”

“Okay Ikki”, I cup my hand over her mouth to muffle the rest of the sentence not overwhelmed with the idea of fuelling the younger boy’s imagination… “and Meelo out! Tell Opal I will be 5 mins”.  
I slam the door for a moments privacy, “Spill it what do you know”.

“I don’t know anything, I didn’t spy on you well I didn’t mean to, it was Jinora’s fault, meditation was soooo boring so I took a walk down by the beach and you were talking really loud, so I was interested!”

I reframe from rubbing the palm of my hand through my hair in frustration as it had only taken me 40 minutes to straighten just right. Instead I flex my fist at my side which causes the younger girl to take a step back.

“I-promise-I-won’t-tell-anyone-you-like-Asami!-I…”

“Liked! It was a long time ago Ikky, and I was really young and why am I even explaining this to a 12-year-old”, I interrupt before Ikky faints from lack of breath

“I think its sweet, like Jinora’s romance novels too long lost loves….”

“Arghhh this isn’t some romance novel Ikky, no rainbows and castles, Asami is not into girls and I have moved on, and uhmm I haven’t exactly told your parents about me liking girls either.”

“We had an idea already honey, don’t worry air nomads believe in all forms of love and attraction being natural”. My head shoots to the door in shock as Pema walks in with my freshly laundered work shirt. Well that was certainly less of a work up than the conversation with my parents had been. Although I am still perplexed with how the older woman who had been a motherly figure during my schooling away from my parents in the Southern Water Tribe.

“Wait… how? Uhmm”. 

“Korra, you have always been like an open book, even now I can tell how jittery you are to be seeing Asami after so long”.

“Am I really that obvious? I thought I was better at this now”

“Well maybe only to those who know you well, I can tell you’re a lot more balanced now, and you look so grown up and beautiful. Have fun tonight”. She says as she rubs my arm to calm the nerves I hadn’t even realised were firing up. As she scoops Ikky up for a talk on privacy, Jinora’s head pops round the door with a “I think it’s cute”. 

Pema glances back with a small apologetic smile before chaperoning the girls away. I am left staring after them for a moment, Jinora did not just call me cute! Nothing about me is cute! I am a serious United Republic Forces Medic in training, with more muscle than half the male recruits and if anything I was hoping for coming off as appealing or adorable not cute! When I hear cute I think of princesses and unicorns and pink bows.

I shake my head before nervously checking myself again in the mirror adjusting my high-waisted skinny blue jeans and top. I Kick on some brown leather ankle boots and grab my matching clutch bag placing my phone and purse away. I take a deep breath and make my way to the hallway where Opals waiting. 

“Korra is my make-up okay, my hands were shaking as I was doing my liner”. 

I chuckle at Opals equally nervous state, “Don’t worry from the looks of it Bolin was impressed enough last night and you look good. Is my make-up good, I know I should just get you to do it, I am lame at all this”, I say as I wave a hand emphasising my outfit.

“I think you did just great without me, you look good now let’s go, and bagsy not designated driver!”

“What no way! I am not driving if I scratch your baby you are going to kill me”, I shout after her as she flings the keys over her shoulder at me.

“Then what is the point of having us both insured to drive her”.

“In case of an emergency like a zombie apocalypse. And you needing a drink to calm your nerves is not an emergency!”

“One – if we are in a zombie apocalypse please do not stop to think if we are insured to drive just get in the car and drive, Two – you owe me! Aaaand Three do – not – scratch – it”. She smirks knowing she has me and I walk over the passenger side to her java green Audi TT as she points to her eyes and back towards me to cement her warning.

I take a seat in her overly flash car, the only sign of Opals family fortune as a Beifong, more nervous about the drive than the ensuing dinner with my friends. As the engine roars to start I relax and put my foot down squealing out of the parking bay towards the ferry crossing to Republic City and grin at Opals laughter and demands to rip up the path like the speed freak she is. 

We screech to a halt outside Narooks 15 minutes. “Damn it Kor, there is too much traffic in RC for any fun”.  
I step out of the car chuckling again, "80 mph down the bypass not fast enough for you”, I say spinning the keys around on my fingers as she joins me on the pathway.

“Nowhere near fast enough”

“Well if we ask nicely maybe Asami wouldn’t mind a race in her fastest Sato Mobile at the test track”.

“Yes… Yess. Please ask!”

I smile at her enthusiasm as we walk into the familiar restaurant from my adolescence, looking over to the usual table in the far corner to find Mako, Bolin and Wu already seated. 

As we approach I suddenly feel very bashful at Wu excited and crude remark carrying over the space between us and the table still some distance away. “OH Spirit’s Korra got hot!” I look anywhere but the table we are heading towards, Opal comments on the rudeness and warns me not to let it put me off. Wu has always been overly tenacious in his approach to girls since school and I was not allowing him to unsettle me tonight. I hold my head high with a confident smile towards my friends and mange a graceful walk over to the table.

“Hi I hope you haven’t been waiting long" I say. 

Bolin jumps up immediately, “only all my life” he says as moves past me without a second thought and holds out a hand to Opal. I giggle at Bolin being all suave whilst I make eye contact with Mako who is still seated next to Wu and tilt my head in his younger brother’s direction. Mako shrugs bemused by Bolins grand attempts at impressing Opal and I silently agree with him that this is definitely not a trait they share.

I glance around the table to seek out Asami who is sat silently observing me, in the spot next to where Bo just jumped up from. I suddenly feel a flutter in my stomach, not from the nerves like earlier but from excitement of spending time with the older woman. I grin down towards her taking in her appearance in the better lighting than BumJu’s last night and I am struck with her beauty again. As I meet her eye’s I loose myself in their depths whilst I somehow manoeuvre around the animated pair in conversation still exchanging pleasantries and by now barely hiding the sickly sweetness of their instant attraction.

“Hey, you”, she says simply with her lips sharing an alluring smile.

“Hey, you”, I reply back unable to think of anything else to say as Bolin and Opal finally take a seat next to me. I wonder if she notices how fast my heart is beating as I sit close to her after all these years and for the moment I allow myself to wish she feels the same heat as our arms brush against each other in the snug booth. I allow myself to hope the quiet moments we share while she studies me are more than her usual curiosity. As I admit to myself that more than anything I still want to be more than friends with Asami Sato.


	4. Chapter 4

After introducing everyone properly to Opal and a waitress swiftly takes our drinks order I am left sipping a J20, restricted by my designated driver duties. I place the bottle down and rub my hands on my thighs in a nervous gesture. I had never felt so anxious around my friends before, but the reunion suddenly feels overwhelming. Sure in the months leading up to Asami leaving for Ba Sing Se to start her engineering course with an early summer programme I had fleetingly found myself embarrassed. Mostly with the thoughts that had invaded my mind since I had realised I had a crush on Asami. But nothing to this extent, as if I was unsure how to proceed with any of them. I had remained in some contact with my friends mostly through facebook and emails with the time differences, but there was so much I just hadn’t had chance to tell them. 

“So Korra, it’s been months since we last messaged how have you been”, Mako commented.

I glanced up towards Mako, and uttered a response, “I – I’ve been okay, uni’s been busy…”.

“Uni smooney! I want to hear about romance Kor?”, Wu asked propping his face up on his palm and puffing out air to lift his wavy hair out of his eyesight. The obnoxious charmer had not changed since school and his overpowering cologne wafts in my direction, I glance towards Asami sat closest to him and notice her leaning away from him and I am amused by the obvious disgust on her face. She is pressed against my side which has an overly distracting effect on me. 

Wu stares insistently awaiting an answer so I mutter a vague response in the hopes to avoid my abysmal lack of romance, “I uhmm well like I said uni’s been busy”. It’s not like I haven’t had the chance; I know I am not unappealing it’s just well… I haven’t met anyone who made me feel as much as Asami. All these years later and a school girl crush has stopped my love life blooming in any way. How could it when I compare every girl I met, dated or went home with in a drunken tumble back to her. But how could they compare when Asami had the ability to take my breath away by doing nothing more than glance my way. She was the most beautiful person I had ever met, both in appearance and in who she is. She is funny and a complete adorable dork who can make me laugh when all I want to do is cry. Even after all these years Asami’s emails brighten up my day like nothing else, and realising your falling for someone over and over again from the other side of the world is amazing and absolutely terrifying.

“WHAT! No hulking soldier boys to practice anatomy with?” He blurts incredulously which causes me to blush. My momentary lapse in formulating speech at Wu’s typically crass comment is disrupted by Opals cackles, well at least Opal is being entertained.

“NO, uhmm I mean I haven’t really been looking to meet anyone, and I…..”

“Stop! This feels weird, I mean Korra is like a sister, I don’t want to think of her with ‘hulking soldier boys’”, Bolin comments with an appalled face. 

“Oh don’t worry I doubt Korra would like to think that either”, Opal chokes out amused by my embarrassment. Yep Opal is definitely enjoying this. I catch her eye and despite her amusement she nods her head in the familiar way that tells me she has my back, feeling comforted I smile a little nervous. “Yea soldier boys are not really my style… I actually uhmm like girls”. 

Wu sits back with a sly smile on his face and holds out his hand in front of Mako, as Asami seems to choke on her drink and Bolin gapes wide eyed. As Mako slaps 50 Yuans in Wu’s hand I indignantly question their behaviour, “Hold up! Did you guys bet on my sexuality”.

Mako at least appears guilty whilst Wu is overwhelmed with his excitement. “Well after rejecting me I realised you must be into girls!”.

I pinch my nose in frustration, “There is a lot in between not wanting to date you Wu and being gay!”

“Not from where I am sitting!”.

I realise now having admitted to being gay there is no way I will be able to get through to Wu over this matter so I throw myself back into the chair crossing my arms over my chest with a huff.

As Wu continues making the others laugh, Asami squeezes my knee to gain my attention, and as I spare her a glance she fixes me with a questioning look. I interpret this as a ‘why didn’t you say anything?’ I had always been stuck on how to tell her which may have something to do with why I hadn’t really told any of my friends yet. Asami has always read me like a book, if I had told her I was gay she would have figured everything out. I mean how do you tell your gorgeous amazing friend who has spent most of the previous few years dating equally amazing guys that you are gay without betraying any feelings you have for them personally. 

I knew she would be accepting of my sexuality but it would be embarrassing for her to figure out my feelings and since I wasn’t really dating anyone else there was no need to mention it. There were times I wanted to tell her like when she had messaged me in the middle of my exams and complained how much she missed me and my silence was driving her crazy. I spent forever re-reading the email analysing the wording like a puzzle and figuring out how to respond until she sent a further email about her next date with the son of her father’s friend the next day. I remember feeling so crushed, realising just how bad misplaced hope is. Asami Sato is gorgeous and amazing but straight!

After 4 years away you would think I would get used to this idea, but just seeing her again had given me butterflies. I can’t help the jolting sensation I get down my spine each time her hand grazes my arm, or the pleasantness of actually hearing her voice.  
Opal has masterfully diverted the conversation towards our training, classes, swim team and our drunken shenanigans. Which I find myself excited to share with my friends as they fill me in what I have missed in Republic City. She’s recounting the time when some of the swim team went skinny dipping in the middle of winter over some silly drunken dare. 

“….Korra and Kurvira are the last ones in the lake both stubborn as we are clambering back into our clothes, finally after another 40 minutes Kurvira swims back over freezing cold collapsing into her towel while Korra jumps around in the icy lake celebrating her win due to her amazing southern heritage.”

“Ha respect the water tribes!” I add grinning at everyone.

“Yea until you got so sick, you were laid up for a week feverish, I was so worried and all you were bothered about was getting one up on Kurvira!”, Opal chided.

“But I lived thanks to you looking after me”

“Sounds just like the trouble Korra and Bolin got into back in the day”, Mako alleged.

“Hey! We did not get in to trouble, we just had a good sense of adventure!”, Bolin defended.

As the evening comes to an end I realise Asami has been un-usually quiet and distant, perhaps it was just seeing each other after years of communicating through emails or had she really been bothered I hadn’t told her about my sexual orientation before. I ruffle my hair in thought and look over to Opal slurring excitedly with Bolin both in fits of giggles. As Mako offers to continue drinks at his I am unsure, Asami’s coolness is starting to drive me crazy and I just want to escape and text her later. That would be so much easier, but before I have chance to come up with an excuse Opal and Bolin have already agreed with Wu and Asami going along with the impromptu invites.  
The drive to Mako sobers Opal up slightly as her window is wound down and I confide in her about Asami’s reaction which she had been way too much into Bolin to notice.

“Just have a word with her later, I am sure she will understand”, she assures me.

As I pull up outside Mako’s and Bolins house, I notice Asami leaning against their garden wall silently watching as we approach, I lock the car and toss the keys over to Opal who catches them and dashes inside the building.

“Nice ride”, she comments passively lacking her usual interest in cars.

“Yea, it’s more Opals but she has me insured for designated driver duties, I have a bike but I left it in the fire nation”, I say rubbing my neck awkwardly.  
She hums in response observing me like she is looking through me, inspecting me piece by piece and I squirm under her scrutiny. “Look Asami I am sorry I didn’t mention anything before….”

“Why didn’t you say anything”.

“I uhmmm…”, and there it was, the moment I knew would surely follow. I glance around willing an excuse to materialise.

“Stop thinking of a diversion Korra, please can you just tell me the truth”. Her eyes lock onto mine pleading with a flicker of insecurity in them, had I made her question my trust in her. Despite everything Asami was still an amazing friend, I don’t want her doubting that. I want to tell her the truth, to say because I love you and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship with the burden of my stupid feelings.

“I guess I didn’t want it to make things awkward between us”, I settle on. Honest enough, even if it does skim over the truth a little.

“But why would it be awkward?” As she tilts her head in consideration I drop her gaze and look to the side. I take a deep breath, and close my eyes to maintain my composure as I prepare myself. She deserves the truth so I swallow the dry lump in my throat.

“Because I had feelings for you for a long time and I didn’t want to weird you out”.

“Feelings…?”, she says it in a whisper and as I glance back I notice her narrowed eyes. “You had feelings for me and you said nothing!” She blurts her anger surprising me.

“Yea yyou wwere always seeing some guy, and I just figured…you were into guys and it was just hopeless. So I didn’t say anything, and how could I tell you I like girls without betraying how I felt. I didn’t want you to feel bad”.

“Feel bad? Korra why would I feel bad. I told you I was here for you to talk or anything”.

“Yea but… your into guys, so why are you so bothered”

“Girls are you coming in or what!” Mako shouts from his door way, interrupting our heated exchange.

We watch him stumble back into the house a moment later and I move to walk past her up the path to the house desperate to be done with the conversion. But before I make it to the gate Asami has grasped my wrist and spun me around to face her again. We are inches away and I can feel her breath on my cheek and the jolting sensation from her hold on me. I meet her gaze and find her normally composed façade has slipped, her eyes are a storm of emotions and as I open my mouth to see if she is okay she lunges forward and captures my lips in a possessive kiss which would normally have me pulling away. But this is Asami Sato and this means everything in the moment, for this woman I would give everything I had to give so I kiss her back with all the passion I have held back, circling my arms around her neck and leaning up into the kiss.  
When we pull away breathless, my hand drops to her cheek which Asami leans into looking adorable with smeared lipstick and a warmness to her expression I hadn’t seen before. She smirks at me wrapping her arms around my waist tugging me against her for a hug. 

“Those guys never meant anything Korra, I dated them to keep my father happy. It was always you who I wanted. Who I want”, she mumbles as she rests her lips to my head and holds me tight.  
The smile I have when I respond with assurances the feeling is mutual is perhaps the brightest I have had for years.


	5. Chapter 5

It felt so good to be on stage at Bumju’s, recent events had left me inspired to sing my heart out. I would be meeting Asami for the first time on my own since I got back tomorrow evening or this evening since it was already early hours in the morning. I’d had to work three nights straight since our kiss outside Mako’s apartment and my mind has been overwhelmed with what it could lead to. The club was packed for a Sunday and the usual live band was missing their lead singer so Bummy had asked me to fill in last minute. Fortunately, I was in similar band back in the Fire Nation so with a little preparation time it worked out well. We progressed through covers of all club classics and the club was dancing along enthusiastically. Mid way through belting out Rhianna’s only girl in the world I caught site of Asami leaning against the bar searching through the crowd. If I wasn’t part way through a set I would have pushed through the crowd to her, so I side glanced the band as they were fazing in the composition for Glitterball in and before my entrance I mouthed for a break after this song. With a confirmative nod from the Wolfbats lead guitarist I turned back to the front of the stage in time to start the next song.

_Standing here in the music hall_

_With my microphone and a glitterball_

_And you walk right in blowing through the doors_

_Like a force of nature, a force of nature I can't look up cause my head's a mess_

_But you're beautiful in the way you dress I'm lost for words and I'm powerless_

_Right from the beginning you've got me singing…_

I watch as Asami heads to the VIP section where I was working the evening I had first run into my friends as I continue through my last song and I find it difficult to focus on the lyrics. 

_I thought I'd lost you in the crowd_

_But how can I when you stand out?_

_You're like the sun to the evening rain_

_The bells are ringing, you've got me singing_

I was sure by this point she was searching for me as her gaze flitted around, I had told her I would be getting out at 2.00am tonight and it must be almost time.

_I've only got eyes for you, for you Just look and see, it's true, it's true_

_So tell me what to do, to do Don't wait too long_

The thought of her being impatient to see me gave me a thrill as I finished of the song with as much effort as I could muster. As my line finishes the guitarist calls out to the club, “Wow, you guys are ROCKING tonight! It’s been a pleasure as always, a massive thanks to Korra for standing in this evening and a good night from the WOLFBATS!

The crowd applauds us as we hand over to the usual DJ to finish up the night and I seek Asami out in the crowd again to find her staring back at the stage with an adorable look of astonishment. I make my way over via the bar to grab a bottle of water and I have almost downed the entire bottle by the time I have reached her by the rear of the club. “Hey, what are you doing here! I mean it’s great to see you and all… Just didn’t realise you would be coming tonight”.

“And miss that show, I didn’t realise you could sing”, she commented with a smile.

“One of my many talents”, I smile back, excited at seeing her so soon, and relieved at sounding so calm when I am anything but.

“Well I look forward to discovering more!”, she comments whilst pushing herself off from the wall making me blush as I take in her appearance. Her tight fitted skinny jeans show off her incredible shape and the all black outfit with her biker jacket and boots give her a more thrilling appeal. In that moment the club melts away and everything I am is focused on this woman, all I can do is smile back at her like an idiot. She closes the distance between us whilst asking when I can get off, so I tare myself away to glance at my phone screen to see the time is 2.05am. With a grin I answer, “Right now!”

She beams back exuding an equal amount of eagerness, “Need a ride?”.

I simply nod and follow her out of the club wishing the bouncer good night as we pass, we walk silently for a few minutes until we stop next to an awesome Satobike similar to my own back in the Fire Nation. The mirrored black and electric blue detail however is unlike any model I have ever seen and the obvious custom job looks of the highest quality. Asami moves in front of me to capture my attention, “It’s an even better ride than it looks, I have spent a lot of hours tuning it up just how I like it”.

“It looks amazing!”

“Where do you want a ride to, I can take you back to the island… or we can take a detour to the race track”. I remember back to the last time I had gone to Asami’s race track. Bolin had dragged me along with much begging, unbeknownst to him, I had previously been very awkward around the heiress. But an exhilarating race around the track was all it took to distract me enough to be able to talk with the intimidating beauty. I hadn’t quite realised I was crushing on the older teen but I was enamoured all the same.

“Race track, I have to see how it handles”.

Asami circles her arms around my neck and gives me a fleeting kiss before leaning back a smirking. “Race track it is!” she moves around the bike unlocks the seat and pulls out a spare helmet. Chucking the helmet at me I put it on as she unchains the bike with her helmet looped through.

A few hours later the sun was peaking up over the horizon as we finished another lap. The bike made speeds exceeding all available models of Satobikes and Asami’s handling was so smooth. If I wasn’t already head over heels with this women, the confidence she emanates in everything she does would be enough to draw me in. Her smug smirk as she whips her hair whilst removing her helmet and dazzling eyes lure me closer as I move in for a more heated kiss. My hand nestles in her hair at the base of her head bringing her closer whilst my other arm circles around to hold her lower back. After a few minutes I reluctantly step back relaxing my hold so my hands rest lightly on her hips and I giggle lightly at her reddened checks and her uncharacteristic bashfulness. I lightly peck her lips again and move to put my helmet back on. “How about that ride home, else I might fall off the back on route if we’re out here any longer”.

She hums in agreement and replaces her helmet before we climb back on the bike and speed towards the island. Once back on air temple island I return the helmet so Asami can stow it away. “I had a great time”, I admit. “We still on for later?”

“Yes! I will be free all day so…whenever you urhmm are free”, Asami responds whilst fiddling with her seat compartment. “I’ll give you a call as soon as I wake up, probably around mid-day, drive safely okay”.

“You bet! See you later Korra”, she finishes as she leans over her bike to give me a kiss goodbye.

Wow I am still not used to sharing kisses with Asami yet, I am unsure if I will ever be used to the sudden breathlessness or racing of my heart. I watch her ride off into the distance before dashing to my room and launching myself on my bed, Opal is flat out, and no way could I wake her until she has a full 8 hours. I stare up at the ceiling reflecting on tonight unable to contain the joy. I have been in love with Asami Sato for about 5 years and I could not imagine in all that time being where I am now. I mean I’m not sure exactly what we are right now, but I am definitely hoping things are developing into the relationship I have always wanted.


End file.
